Most U.S. Hydropower Capacity Is In The WestMore than half of U.S. hydropower capacity for electricity generation is concentrated in Washington, California, and Oregon. Washington has the most hydroelectric generating capacity of any state and is the site of the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydropower facility in the United States. New York has the largest hydroelectric capacity of all states east of the Mississippi River, followed by Alabama.

Most hydropower is produced at large facilities built by the federal government. The West has many of the largest hydropower dams. Many smaller facilities also operate around the country.

The share of U.S. total hydropower generation capacity by the top five states in 2015:

The map above shows the amount of electricity produced by hydroelectric dams in each of the nations of the world. The United States leads the world in hydroelectric dams, mostly due to its high level of technology and plentiful supply of rivers. Canada, Brazil, and China also produce a large amount of hydroelectricity. Africa and Southeast Asia are not able to produce much hydroelectricity, likely due to a lack of money and technology. Hydroelectricity is ultimately derived from solar energy, by evaporating surface water and returning it to higher elevations as rain and snowfall. earth.rice.edu